Look outside of the firm, too, for the full picture.
“Interview some of their portfolio companies,” he says. “Any private equity company that won’t allow you to talk to some of their clients — run.”
Ask the CEOs of those companies how they think they’ve benefited as well as what their customers think. Find out how many employees have remained since the acquisition.
“Do the principals feel that they’re better off? Did [the firm] really add value or did they only add money and micromanage it to death?” Fink says, emulating the line of questioning that lead him to Blue Point Capital Partners.
Because you won’t be the only one interacting with the new partners, set up social events so your managers can see who they may be working with. Before the sale, Fink organized dinners and other casual meetings and even arranged for the principals to have one-on-one interviews with his senior staff members.
“I want them to feel comfortable conversing with these folks just as much as I do,” says Fink, who set the communication in motion before the contracts were even signed.
